Durham Health and Wellbeing

Despite great scientific progress during the 20^th century, high-tech medicine and our ability to cure many diseases, including some serious spinal diseases, we still confront simple back pain with confusion, unable to offer a cure.

Simple, non-specific or mechanical low back pain are terms used to describe a mechanical derived back pain not involving nerve root compression or serious spinal disease.

Good Posture: the position every rower needs to perform better

The desire to perform better leads many amateurs and professionals into spending lots of money on new gadgets or the latest training kit. Although this approach may work for a short time, most rowers end up injured which limits their chance of reaching peak performance.

It is estimated that at any given time as many as 30% of all professional athletes are playing injured, 53% of men and 45% of women athletes suffer from back pain.

Strength is not the only key to healthy rowing; a good rower requires flexibility, the ability to rotate with every stroke, efficiently, easily, explosively and repeatedly. Many postural faults are the result of poor joint mobility or joint instability, resulting from soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia) restrictions.

When the balance of any muscle group is altered, the movement patterns of the joints are altered. This progressively alters the movement for the joints to follow. This joint alteration will inevitably lead to injury. When muscles become injured due to trauma, repetitive strains, they form scar tissue and fibrous adhesions, these adhesions form between muscles and connective tissue which restrict the muscles ability to slide freely past one another, disrupting joint mechanics and causing muscles to feel tight and restrictive.

Shortened muscles and tightened joints, all combine to impair coordination, reduce power and result in further injuries. This cycle will repeat itself unless the restrictions are released.

By assessing posture, muscle imbalances and functional movement, we at the Northern Integrative Health Practice can identify and locate your muscle and movement restrictions. By using soft tissue treatments, follow up stretching, removal of adhesions and designing your individual strength training program you can return to high performance with reduced risk of injury.

We'll be at the Chester-le-Street Regatta on Saturday 16th April from 9.30am on the riverside, supporting our local Rowing Club by providing pre and post race treatments. If you're looking for advice or more information about how the NIHP Durham can help then come down and see us.

Spend a day by the river!

I am often asked about back problems, no energy and people carrying more weight than they would like.

Most of the people I come across have the same kind of problems.

At the moment I would say about 50% of the people I have worked with are improving their health and getting the results they desire. The truth is the figure should be 100% but it is not my coaching methods which are to blame.

On the contrary, I see my system working again and again with open minded, determined people. The reason is because most people today are looking for the quick fix and are not ready to put the kind of effort in that is required to be healthy.

The 3 main areas that causes a persons health to deteriorate are:

1. Lack of nutrition
2. Chemical toxicity
3. Lack of movement

When we address these issues on a consistent basis, we will begin to build health and see our problems disappear as our body moves back into balance.

How can we address these issues?

We use a proven 3 step program which will:

• Get you out of pain
• Help you lose weight
• Boost your energy levels
• Improve your posture

Step 1

Get you out of pain

When clients present with pain problems we recommend that a non-invasive soft tissue treatment be used in conjunction with nutrition and lifestyle modifications.

Step 2

Assessment

Once the shoulder, neck or back pain problem is improving the next thing we do is assess that person’s posture.

Good posture keeps muscles in balance and your body well aligned, allowing optimal efficiency of the bodies systems. Poor posture places abnormal weight on joints and stresses muscles and tendons, often leading to pain.

When the muscles of the body become imbalanced, the body must compensate, this results in some muscles becoming tighter (known as tonic muscles) and others becoming weaker (known as phasic muscles).

To find these imbalances we at need to perform a comprehensive length tension relationship test, this will determine the corrective exercise for your individual structural imbalances.

Step 3

Receive an individualized designed corrective exercise program designed for your individual postural imbalances; you will receive full instructions on how to execute exercises given to you, with full knowledge and confidence that you will be able to perform the exercise program at home. Along with nutrition and lifestyles guidance.

Contact me today to find out how I can help you. Call 0191 398 0000 today!